Overboard
by SharpayRocksTheStage
Summary: There's a girl, a boy, and a boat. So many possibilities... TROYPAY
1. Who are the Evans?

**Chapter 1**

Troy Bolton walked into the Lava Springs Boat Dock Restaurant with his parents, Lisa and Jack, following close behind him. They had just bought a brand new boat and had decided to dock it at Lava Springs. He looked around at all of the nice furniture and surroundings and was amazed at how beautiful the place was. He looked over at a plaque on the wall beside them and sighed. 'Owned proudly by The Evans Family' was all that it said. He should have guessed; every other nice place in Albuquerque was owned by the Evans. He often wondered why they didn't just buy the whole city, it would probably be cheaper. Of course, the Evans never did anything simply. The waiter sat them at a nice table right by the marble bar. He looked up at his parents.

"I should've known that this place was owned by the Evans. They're the only ones rich enough." His mom looked at him with a confused look on her face.

"Who are the Evans?"

"They're the richest people in the southwest; they own like half of the city. And their daughter and son go to school with me. I have to tell you, sometimes Sharpay just gets on my last nerve!"

"Why is that?"

"It's so annoying how all she wears is pink and white, but only if it's dripping in Swarovski crystals. And she has this unbearable blonde hair. She thinks she's better than everyone, oh, and the worst is that there are these three girls who worship her hand and foot; they're called the Sharpettes."

Lisa looked over Troy's shoulder and saw a petite blonde girl sitting up on the bar surrounded by three girls. Just then two more people walked up to her. There was a boy with a weird hat on and a woman who looked quite young. The blonde got down and hugged them and Lisa realized that the girl and boy must be twins. "Umm, Troy, you're going to think I'm crazy," she pointed at the girl and her family, "is that her?"

Troy turned around and back to his parents. He moaned and placed his head on his crossed arms. Over at the Evans…

Sharpay was, again, sitting up on the bar, with the three other girls below her. She was wearing a pink bikini that left little to the imagination and a matching chiffon robe that wasn't tied. She was also sporting a pair of silver Prada heels and silver sunglasses that matched the Swarovski crystals on her bathing suit. She was currently talking about how she was on a diet and needed to lose weight, and the three girls would just respond with: "You look amazing, Sharpay!" or "Why would you need to lose weight, you're so skinny?" Just then her mom came up to her.

"Sharpay, isn't that the boy who stole your lead in the musical right there?" she motioned over her shoulder and, luckily, Sharpay looked up at him the same time he looked over at her. She just looked annoyed and responded.

"Yes, mother, and that is his father and mother. What else would you like to know about him?" She asked sarcastically.

"I want to meet them."

"Why the hell would you want to do that?" she said a little too loudly, earning looks from everyone in the restaurant, including the Boltons. Her mother gave her a stern look and she just sighed. She jumped off of the bar and walked towards the closest table. Troy jumped when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked back and realized that it was Sharpay herself. "Bolton, my mom wants to meet you." She turned back to her mother. "Mother, this is Troy Bolton, Bolton this is mother." She started to walk off, when Sherri Evans caught her daughter's wrist. She stopped but didn't turn around while her mother introduced herself to the others. The next thing she heard was "Would ya'll care to join us this afternoon?" come out of her mother's mouth. She turned around and looked at her with a look that said 'Are you out of your mind?' Troy saw this and just laughed. No one else realized this, so the conversation kept on. Troy's mother smiled and responded.

"That would be lovely! Doesn't that sound lovely, Troy?"

"It does." Troy said, trying to annoy the hell out of Sharpay.

Mrs. Evans smiled and turned to her daughter: "Sharpay, would you go and tell your father that the Boltons will be joining us?"

"No, get Ryan to do it." Sharpay walked off towards the bar and returned with Ryan and some sort of martini. "Mom, now Ryan's here, so you can boss him around."

"Sharpay, I told you that you couldn't have alcohol outside of the house!" Sherri Evans nodded towards the drink in her daughter's hand.

"Don't worry, Mom! It's a virgin, kind of like Bolton here." She smirked at Troy and he stood up.

"Why are you such a bitch, Sharpay?!"

Troy's parents gasped and Sharpay, not even slightly intimidated, stood up straight and glared into Troy's eyes with a smile still on her face. "I may be a bitch, but at least I don't go around breaking my promises."

"What are you talking about, Sharpay?" Sharpay just laughed and started talking in her Troy imitation voice.

"'Oh, Gabriella, I got tickets for us to go see The Chronicles of Narnia this Saturday at 2:25. I promise I'll be there.' Does that sound familiar? Oh, Troy, it's 2:30"

"How did you know that?"

"Your locker is right next to mine, Bolton! You know its bright pink and has a big gold star with my name on it. You two are practically sprawled all over it whenever I need to get in it." She turned towards his parents and laughed when she saw them glare at their son. Troy blushed for a minute and then turned back to the blonde.

"You're just jealous because you can't get a boyfriend!"

"FYI- I could get any guy I wanted!"

"Yeah, because they just want to get in your pants!"

"WELL, WHY DON"T YOU JUST GO TO-" all of a sudden she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around. "Daddy!"

"Princess, how are you?"

"Better now that you're here! I'm so glad you're home!"

"I'm afraid I'm not home for long, though. I have to go to Milan tomorrow morning." He looked down at her daughter's disappointed face. "But, I found someone lurking out in the parking lot." He stepped aside and revealed a blonde, handsome boy. Sharpay's eyes got big.

"Chris!" she jumped into his arms and kissed him quickly. "What are you doing here, honey?"

"I was actually wondering if we could talk." He looked around. "In private."

"Of course." She led him over to a corner of the restaurant where no one could hear what they were saying, but they could be seen by the whole place. "Now, what was it you wanted to talk about?" she said as she placed her right hand on his bicep.

"Sharpay, you know I will always love you and will always be there for you…" he had obviously done this before, "but, there's someone else."

"WHAT?!"

Troy turned around quickly when he heard Sharpay scream. He automatically knew what had happened.

"Sharpay, I'm sorry." The blonde tried to explain himself.

"Who is it?"

"It's Jennifer." Sharpay turned so that she was facing Jennifer, a 'loyal' Sharpette, and her ex at the same time.

"I want both of you out!"

"What?"

"GET THE HELL OUT!!!!" she screamed and pointed towards the door. He slowly turned around and grabbed Jennifer's hand on the way to the door. Sharpay walked back to the table and pulled her sunglasses back over her eyes as the tears started to fall. She quickly grabbed her martini and turned to her brother: "I'm going to go tan. Don't disturb me." She turned and went to walk out of the back door and onto the docks when she felt Troy catch her arm.

"Sharpay, I'm sorry."

"Get your hand off of me!"

Troy could see the tears running down her cheeks and he knew that he had no chance of winning this fight, so he let go of her arm and watched her walk out of the back door. He walked back to his parents and the Evans and turned to Ryan. "Ryan, you know I didn't mean anything by my comment earlier, right?"

"You're the one who said it, Troy. You think you know her, but you don't know anything about her. So, before you go around saying that she's a bitch, you should get to know her. Oh, and you know what I really hate? I hate people who call Shar a bitch for simply telling the truth. Everyone knows you're a virgin, Troy, it's not a lie." And after that, he ran out of the door after his sister who he met half way between the door and the boat, considering she was wearing heels. Everyone was watching from inside the restaurant. At first, Sharpay just screamed at Ryan to go away, but she soon gave in. The twins just stood there, with Ryan's arms around Sharpay and her head resting on his shoulder. You could now obviously see the tears running down her tanned cheeks; she wasn't even trying to hide them.

Ryan and Sharpay finally pulled apart; Sharpay took off her heels and gave them to one of the lifeguards. They walked back inside and Sharpay sat at her usual place on the bar, while Ryan was standing in front of her trying to do anything to make her laugh. He finally got a chuckle out of her (and a smile from Troy) when he cracked a joke about Chad's hair, which looked like a poodle. Troy walked closer to the two and really started listening. Ryan was talking.

"Shar, he's stupid not to want you as a girlfriend! You can get any guy you want!"

"I know, Ry, Troy made that pretty clear."

"No, you could get any guy you want because you're beautiful, smart, funny, and a great person."

"And apparently I'm a bitch and a whore!" Sharpay said that a little too loudly and The Evans and The Boltons turned to look at her.

"Shar, don't say that! You are neither a bitch nor a whore. You've just had some guy problems, lately. Don't worry, you'll find the right guy sooner than you think."

"Thanks, Ryan. You're the best brother in the world!" she jumped off of the counter and hugged him, still with tears rolling down her cheeks. Ryan whispered something in her ear that no one else could hear. She sighed and walked over to Troy. "Troy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scream at you." The whole time she was looking at her feet, so she didn't see when Troy leaned in to hug her. She felt two big arms around her and suddenly melted. They stood there for a moment and soon broke apart. Troy looked into her beautiful dark brown eyes and smiled.

"Pay, it's not your fault. That wasn't my place to interfere." He was waiting for her to blow up at him for calling her anything but Sharpay, but she never did.

"It's okay, you didn't know. No one knows." She looked down at her feet and turned back to Ryan. "This time I really am going to tan, Ry. If you need me, I'll be on the top deck." And with that, she walked out of the back door, took her heels from the same lifeguard she had handed them to earlier and walked all the way down the dock until she turned the corner and disappeared. Troy watched her walk away, and then sat back down on the table with head in hands.

"I feel like crap. I can't believe I said all those things to her.' Ryan sat down at the bar and spoke up.

"I can't believe you said them either." Troy turned to face Ryan.

"Ryan, I didn't know." He tried to explain himself, but he could tell that he wasn't doing a very good job of it.

"Yeah, and I bet you also didn't know that my sister has a huge crush on you, Troy. Or had, after what you said. But I'm sure she means nothing to you, so why don't you just go back to your precious Gabriella." He started to walk off, but stopped when he heard a voice behind him.

"I broke up with Gabriella." Ryan turned around and walked back towards Troy.

"What?"

"Yeah, last night, I broke up with her." Everyone's eyes got big.

"Why?"

"I don't really know, I just don't feel the same way about her as I did during Twinkle Towne. I think I might like someone else, but I didn't know if she really felt the same way, but now I do." Ryan was confused for a minute, but then he realized what Troy was implying.

"OH MY GOD! YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH MY SISTER????!!!!" he screamed.

"Ryan, could you not scream!"

"Sorry. Can I talk to you outside?" Ryan literally dragged Troy outside the back door, but everyone could still see them and hear them because that entire wall was made of glass and the door was still open. "What the hell are you thinking, Troy? You can't just dump Gabriella and come running to Sharpay. Do you know how much pain you've caused her these past months? She cried for days when you two got the leads and again when you and Gabriella started going out. You took away the one thing she was truly living for, Troy. You took away her pride, her life, her everything. And it hurts me to see her cry over you whenever something happens or goes wrong. And-" it was Troy's turn to yell, now.

"Ryan, could you please shut up!" Ryan stood there quietly and waited for Troy to continue. "Yes, I'm in love with your sister, but I'm not counting on her even accepting me after what I've said to her. I never knew that she liked me and I never meant to hurt her. How was I supposed to know, Ryan? Sharpay's a great actress; she can hide anything from anyone. And she chose to hide that from me, so how was I supposed to know that she liked me? Enlighten me!"

"Troy, Sharpay likes you, but, as I said, you can't just immediately ask her out. You have to win back her trust, before she'll accept you as anything more than an enemy."

"And how am I supposed to do that on such short notice?"

"That's for you to figure out, but I will tell you this: she's a sucker for a good love song. Think: Christian and Satine." Ryan walked back into the restaurant, leaving Troy alone and confused. He chased after Ryan and ignored the looks he was getting from his parents and the Evans.

"You're talking about Moulin Rouge, aren't you Ryan?" Ryan smiled and turned to Troy.

"Yes, that's Sharpay's favorite musical."

"So, you're saying that I should sing a song from Moulin Rouge?"

"I'm not saying anything, Troy. You need to figure Sharpay out on your own."

"Okay, but if she kills me, I'm blaming you." Troy turned around and started out the door when he realized that he had no idea where he was going. "Um, Ryan, which boat is it?"

"The big one." Troy just glared at him. All of those boats were big. Ryan smiled and turned to everyone else. "Shall we head to the boat?" They were all still in shock, but slightly shook their heads. They all made the long walk down and around the corner of the dock when they came face to face with the biggest boat that the Boltons had ever seen. It was a big white boat with the word PRINCESS written in a fancy script down the side. Troy looked up to the top and saw a platform with railing around it and he figured that's where Sharpay must be. He followed everyone else onto the boat and then quickly ascended the spiral staircase that led to the different levels.

Once he had reached the top, he had slowed down his pace so that he wouldn't make any noise. There she was, lying on a beach chair, tanning her back. She had her face buried in a pillow and her hair was cascading down her back. She was truly the most beautiful girl that Troy had ever seen. He soon remembered why he had come up here in the first place and began to sing softly:

_My gift is my song; and this one's for you_

_And you can tell everybody, that this is your song_

_It may be quite simple, but now that it's done_

_I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind, that I put down in words_

_How wonderful life is, now you're in the world_

Sharpay sat up on the edge of her beach chair and gave Troy a questioning glance. He ignored it and kept on:

_I sat on the roof, and I kicked off the moss_

_And some of these verses, they, well, they got me quite cross_

_But the sun's been kind, while I wrote this song_

_It's for people like you that keep it turned on_

_So excuse me for getting, but these things I do_

_You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue_

_And well the thing is, what I really need_

_Your's are the sweetest eyes, I've ever seen_

Troy walked towards Sharpay and took her hands. She stood up and he looked straight into her eyes. She knew the song forward and backward; she knew the song was about love and she recognized that look in Troy's eyes. For the first time, she knew that he loved her. She blushed and looked down at her feet, but he soon started singing again.

_And you can tell everybody, that this is your song_

_And it may be quite simple, but now that it's done_

_I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind, that I put down in words_

_How wonderful life is, now you're in the world_

Troy ended the song and lifted Sharpay's chin up with his finger, so that they were face to face. He gently placed his lips on hers and she melted into him. Sharpay wrapped her arms around Troy's neck and looked into his dreamy, blue eyes. "I can't believe it...I'm in love." Troy smiled and brought her back in for another kiss.

They only broke apart when they heard Ryan speaking. He had apparently walked up the stairs when they were pre-occupied so they hadn't heard him. He called down the stairs: "Gross! Troy and Sharpay are making out!" Sharpay was blushing harder than ever

"Ryan, I swear I'm going to kill you!"

"Uh, oh." he started running down the stairs and away from Sharpay who was now chasing after her brother. He ran down the stairs and past his parents and visitors while screaming 'Save me!' at the top of his lungs. All of a sudden, Sharpay appeared at the bottom of the stairs. She was running after him as he dove off of the side of the boat and in to the water, and, unexpectedly, so did she. They both resurfaced moments later and climbed up the ladder on the side of the boat. They were both laughing and having a good time, which earned looks from all of the people on the boat, including Mark, the butler, who had brought them towels. By this time, Troy was standing with everyone else, in complete shock. Sharpay just looked at him.

"Troy, what's wrong? You all look like you've seen a ghost."

"That was just so unexpected. It's so unlike you."

"Troy, you have a lot to learn about me, and one thing is: during the summer, I totally let go."

"Apparently." He just laughed and put his arm around her shoulder. Sharpay turned to Ryan, who was standing next to her along the side of the boat where there wasn't any railing.

"I still can't believe you did that! You completely ruined the moment! I've never done anything like that to you when I catch you swapping spit with Kelsi." Sharpay smiled while looking down at her nails. Troy turned to Ryan.

"Dude, you and Kelsi are going out?" Ryan glared back at his sister who was still smirking, but she turned to Troy.

"They're actually really cute together, but I can't resist the urge to give her a makeover!"

"Why don't you?"

"Ryan won't let me…apparently he likes her ugly clothes and hair." They just laughed and turned back to Ryan.

"1. We'll talk about that later, Shar, and for right now consider the subject dropped and 2.do you think I really wanted to see my sister making out with a guy? No, thank you." Sharpay was getting annoyed with Ryan, so she simply pushed him off the side of the boat with one shove of her right hand. There was no railing for him to hit, so he just fell back into the water. She just smiled up at Troy who smiled back. Ryan re-appeared moments later at the top of the ladder, soaking wet, yet again. He looked up at Sharpay with an angry look in his eye. He walked towards her and picked her up. He started to carry her to the edge of the boat, while she was kicking and screaming for him to put her down. Finally, Sharpay came to her last resort.

"Daddy! Tell him to put me down!" she looked at her father with a pleading look in her eyes. She knew she was Daddy's favorite.

"Ryan, put your sister down!"

"But, Dad, she pushed me in!"

"She's a lady, now put her down!" Ryan just sighed and put Sharpay back down on the ground. She smiled and ran over to her father.

"I love you, daddy! You're the best!"

"I love you, too, Princess!" Sharpay turned to Ryan and smirked.

"Oh, and Ry, you can't throw me off of my own boat!"

"Whatever!" he walked over to one of the lounging chairs on the deck and laid down on it. Sharpay walked back over to Troy, who turned to his parents.

"Mom, Dad, you haven't said a word this whole time." Lisa spoke up.

"Well, son, we haven't really had the chance. First, we were listening to you sing and then Ryan ticked Sharpay off." She looked over towards Sharpay, who was blushing.

"Oh, well, okay."

"This is definitely an exciting family."

"You're telling me!" just then he felt Sharpay tap his arm, so he turned towards her.

"Troy, I need to finish tanning, so I'm going back up."

"But, Pay, you have the perfect tan."

"And I plan on keeping it that way." She walked off towards the stairs and went back up to the top level, with Troy following right behind her. Instead of lying down like he expected her to do, Troy saw Sharpay walk over to the railing on the front side of the platform. He walked over and placed his arm around her, and he felt her relax a little. She just stood there, staring out over the horizon, wondering what life would be like somewhere else. She turned to Troy:

"Have you ever wondered what it's really like to live someone else's life?" Troy looked down and saw that she was dead serious.

"Well, I used to wonder what it was like to be you, if that counts." Sharpay laughed and looked down at the people below her. Troy's family and her own were different in so many ways.

"I can assure you, Troy that you still have a lot to learn about my life. It's not just diamonds and satins all of the time. I work hard for what I do in life." She walked over to the table sitting by her lounge chair and picked up her cell phone, which read 4:00. "Oh, crap!"

"What's wrong?"

"I have to go downstairs and get ready!" she grabbed her cover-up and started running down the stairs and when she reached the bottom level she looked at her mother and pointed towards the clock on the wall. She continued running until she hit the door that led to the Cabin underneath the main deck. Troy was following her down, but was a little taken aback when he got the door slammed in his face.

"Um, Pay?" she appeared once again and opened the door for him.

"Sorry, it's a habit." She led Troy back into a large bathroom, where he sat on a pink couch. "Close your eyes, until I say open." He closed his eyes and then heard the sound of the shower turn on. "Okay, you can open them, now."

Troy opened his eyes to find that Sharpay had stepped into the large shower and left him wondering what to do. "Pay, are you sure you want me in here, while you're taking a shower?"

"Sure, it's better to have someone to talk to." She paused. "Hey, Troy, what about Gabriella? Aren't the two of you going out?" Troy was hoping the subject of Gabriella wouldn't come up, at least for right now.

"We were, but I dumped her last night." He heard her rustling stop and he continued. "I realized that I was actually in love with someone else. I was in love with the anti-Gabriella."

"What do you mean by 'the anti-Gabriella'?"

"Sure, at first, the whole innocent thing was cute, but I realized that it wasn't just an act, it was really her. Do you realize that we never actually kissed? Maybe on the cheek, but never anything else." Sharpay felt bad, now.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry about that comment I made earlier about you sprawled across my locker. I was just trying to aggravate you. But, anyway, are you saying that I was your first real kiss?" Troy blushed but still replied.

"Yeah, I'm guessing I wasn't yours, though."

"Actually, you were." Troy's eyes got really big and he turned to look at where he knew she was. Sharpay was grateful that he couldn't see her blush.

"But what about all of those guys that you've slept with and made out with?"

"Which guys, Troy? Do you know any of their names?" there was silence. "No, because none of them exist. People like making up rumors about me because it gives them something to do and they know I won't do anything about it. I don't care what people think, Troy. If they want to think I'm a bitch or a whore, they can be my guests!" Troy's head lowered and he responded.

"Pay, I really am sorry for all of those things I said earlier, I was just frustrated because you were acting as if you didn't care for me at all, and I felt defeated. I felt like, if I didn't fight back, the world might end."

"Troy, I wasn't aiming that comment at you."

"I know."

"Good, now close your eyes so I can get out."

"They're closed." He heard her step out of the shower and take a towel off of the bar next to where he was sitting. The next thing he knew, he felt a pair of lips press against his own. Sharpay went to pull away, but he grabbed the back of her neck and brought her back down for a kiss. He felt her pull away again and let her this time.

"Troy, I need to get ready."

"Okay."

"Just wait here, I'll be back." He sat there for about a minute until she reappeared wearing boy shorts and a tank top.

"You're going to wear that to wherever you're going?" Troy was obviously confused.

"No, silly," she playfully hit him on the arm, "I'm just wearing this while I blow dry my hair so I don't get over heated." She ducked down to the cabinet underneath the sink and pulled out a pink blow dryer. Once it was plugged in, she turned it on.

"Pay, where exactly are you going? You never told me."

"During the summer, I participate in community theatre here in Albuquerque. Tonight is opening night of the show, so I have to be there at six for the show to start at seven."

"What musical is it?"

"Mamma Mia." The two were literally screaming so that they could hear one another.

"Let me guess, you're playing Sophie." He smiled at her and she blushed into the mirror.

"Yeah, I am. How did you know?"

"Well, Sophie's the lead girl and you and the leads go together like peanut butter and jelly."

"As long as I can be the jelly, that's fine by me!" they both laughed and then everything went quiet (except for the blow dryer, of course). Sharpay looked into the mirror straight into Troy's eyes and Troy just stared back. All of a sudden, the door burst open.

"Hey, Shar-" Ryan stopped when he saw the annoyed look on his sister's face. "What did I do this time?" ignoring his question, she turned back to the mirror

"You have horrible timing, Ryan."

"I'm sorry, but mom wanted me to tell you that she wants to see you before you leave."

"Tell her that I'll be up in twenty minutes." She turned to Troy. "Why don't you go back up with, Ryan, so you don't distract me again? I'll be up soon." She kissed him on the cheek, and watched as he walked out the door. Then, she turned the blow dryer back on and finished doing her hair. Back on the main deck…

"So, Troy, I hear that you play golf." Mr. Evans was curious about the boy he had heard so much about from his daughter.

"Yeah, a little."

"That's not what Shar told me. She said that you were on the East High team and were voted Most Valuable Golfer."

"Yes, sir. She did not lie."

"You should come out to the club sometime and hit a few balls. I think you'd really enjoy the country club."

"Well, thank you sir." Troy had learned by now that if one of the Evans offers you something, you better take it while the offer stands. Just then, they heard Sharpay yell from behind the corner.

"Mom, can you come help me?" Mrs. Evans excused herself and walked around the corner to where her daughter was standing. "Mom, this dress is tighter than when I tried it on at the store, and it won't zip up all the way." Her mother tried the zipper and it wouldn't budge. She sighed and walked back around the corner, dragging Sharpay with her. They were now standing in front of everyone and Sherri Evans and Mike Evans were speaking.

"Mike, will you try and zip this up?" he stood and tried at the zipper, which made Sharpay gasp for air, because it slightly tightened around her stomach. The zipper would not budge any further.

"I don't understand. The dress fit perfectly three days ago."

"I don't know, mom." Sherri turned to her daughter with a look of disapproval on her face.

"Sharpay, are you pregnant?!" she could not believe that her mother just had the nerve to ask her that in such a public place.

"What?! No mother, I'm not pregnant; that's completely impossible!"

"Yeah, right!"

"Great, my own mother thinks I'm a whore! You think that I slept with Chris, don't you?"

"Well, I figured since he always had his hands up your shirt and-" Sharpay had had enough.

"MOTHER, JUST SHUT UP! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" Sharpay now had tears running down her cheeks. Thank the lord for water-proof makeup!

"Well, you've obviously gained weight! Haven't you been dieting like I told you?"

"Mom, drinking nothing but protein shakes and water does not count as dieting!" she turned to look at the Boltons who were just sitting there watching this whole thing go down. Sharpay could not believe that her mother would do this to her, especially in front of her boyfriend's parents. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "Mom, I'll just wear the black dress." She went to turn around when her mother's hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Sharpay, wait. You can't wear the black dress."

"Why not?"

"Because everyone else will be wearing black."

"Do you realize how stupid that sounded?" she walked away from everybody and went through the door to the cabin. Once she had taken the black dress out of the closet, she laid it on the bed. That's when she heard a knock on the open door. She looked up to find a pair of light blue eyes staring back at her; Troy walked into the room and looked down at Sharpay.

"Pay, are you okay?"

"I don't even know, Troy. I just can't believe that my own mother had the nerve to ask me if I was pregnant in front of your parents!"

"They know that you aren't, Pay."

"But that's not the point, Troy. You have no idea how mortifying that was, standing there and seeing the look on your parent's faces." She couldn't hold back the tears any longer. Troy walked up in front of her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He decided that, before he says anything else, he should just let her cry. After a few minutes, he looked her straight in the eyes.

"Do you want me to come with you tonight?"

"I can't ask you-"

"Yes, Sharpay, you can." She looked up at him and smiled.

"That would be great, Troy. Thank you."

"Anytime."

"I better get changed." She nodded towards the dress lying on the bed.

"Which dress do you like better, Pay?" she motioned towards the dress that she was already wearing. "Turn around." Sharpay was confused, but turned nonetheless. She felt him unzip the dress and then zip it back up without any problem. She turned back around and looked at him, but before she could say anything, he explained.

"The zipper was just caught on a string. Trust me, you haven't gained any weight; you look great." He smiled at her and watched as she blushed and looked down at her feet. They stood there a moment longer, but Sharpay realized that she should probably finish getting ready. She walked over to the closet and picked up her black heels that she had picked out for tonight. Sharpay sat down on the bed to put on her shoes, when she felt an arm wrap around her small body. Troy had sat down next to her. She slipped on the shoes and stood up, and walked into the bathroom.

She put on her bracelet and earrings, but was having trouble fastening the necklace. She turned and looked at Troy, who was standing in the doorway. He just smiled and took the necklace from her. He wrapped it around her neck and then carefully fastened it in the back. When he was done, he laid his hands on Sharpay's bare shoulders. She leaned back and laid her head back on his chest. She looked at the clock and realized that it was already 5:30. "We should probably go, Troy."

"Alright, should we swing by my house so I can change?"

"No, you're fine. I just have to wear this because we're doing cast pictures."

"Oh, okay. So, are you ready?"

"Yes, I am. Why don't you text your mom or dad and tell them to make some excuse to leave."

"Alright." He took out his phone, and when he was done texting, he held out his arm to her. She happily took it, and they walked up the stairs and out onto the main deck. When they walked in front of everyone, they saw that his parents were getting up to leave. Sharpay looked up at her father and brother, but refused to look at her mother. She knew that it wouldn't end well if she did. After Mr. Bolton shook Mr. Evans' hand, they walked off the boat, along with Troy. Ryan walked up to his sister.

"Good luck tonight, Shar." He hugged her and sat back down. Her father was next.

"Good luck, princess. I love you."

"I love you, Daddy." He too sat back down. Sharpay stood up a moment longer, waiting for her mother to say something, but she never did. She just gave up. "I don't know what time I'll be home tonight, so don't wait up." She stepped over on to the dock, where she found all three Boltons waiting for her. "Hey." she turned to Troy, because she noticed him looking at her. "What's up?"

"Whatever you do, Pay. Don't let her get to you tonight, okay? Tonight is your night, not hers, not anybody else's."

"I know, Troy, thank you." He hugged her and kissed her on top of the head. The four people began walking down the dock and out into the parking lot. Troy and Sharpay climbed into her car, and his parents into their own. They had decided to come see Sharpay in the show tonight. They all arrived to the theatre with plenty of time to spare.


	2. What? I don't get a hug?

Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Troy watched as he saw Sharpay walk into the moon holding some other guy's hand, and felt a pang of jealousy, but it stopped when he realized that it was just a play. The curtains went down and the audience roared with applause. Now it was time for curtain call. First came all of the back up dancers, then Sophie's friends, Donna's friends, Sophie's fathers, Donna, and then, finally, Sophie. Sharpay looked so beautiful up on the stage, simply wearing khaki shorts and a white t-shirt. Troy saw her look out into the audience and motion for him to come up on stage with her. At first he was reluctant, but then he saw her smile. He was up there in a matter of seconds, standing there next to her, while she introduced him to all of the other cast members, including the director.

"Troy, this is Bill. He's the director here at the theatre." She turned to the older man standing in front of her. "This is Troy Bolton, he's the one that stole my lead in Twinkle Towne." She paused. "But, I've mostly forgiven him…he has a wonderful voice. Maybe he would be interested in performing with us?" she turned her head to Troy who shot her a smile and she winked back at him.

"Well, Mr. Bolton, since Sharpay believes that you have a great voice, you must, and you're welcome anytime, but right now, Sharpay has a solo to perform!" Troy looked at Sharpay with questions in his eyes.

"I always do a solo after every show. That's why no one has left yet." She motioned out to the audience who were all sitting there attempting to talk over the soundtrack music that was still playing. "Go sit back down, while I get ready." She kissed him on the cheek and then walked off stage right, back to her dressing room.

Troy sat back down and eagerly awaited Sharpay's big solo. He knew it was big, because everyone around him was talking about it. A few minutes later, the lights went down and music began playing. He automatically recognized the song as "Suddenly" by Ashley Tisdale. Then she started singing,

_Suddenly I am in front of the lights_

_Everything, I'm feeling, is scary and beautiful at the same time_

_And everyday, I try just to breathe_

_I want to show, the whole world, the truth inside of me_

_Suddenly people know my name_

_Suddenly everything has changed_

_Suddenly I feel so alive_

_In the blink of eye…_

_My dreams begin to rain_

_Suddenly time, it feels like the wind_

_It changes everywhere I go_

_I'm just trying to fit in_

_Now here I stand_

_And I'm still just that girl_

_I'm following my heart_

_In this amazing, crazy world_

_Suddenly people know my name_

_Suddenly everything has changed_

_Suddenly I feel so alive_

_In the blink of eye…_

_Suddenly I am center stage_

_Suddenly I am not afraid_

_Suddenly I believe again_

_In the blink of an eye, it's happening now_

_As my dreams begin to rain_

_I want to say: Love Me For Me …What's inside_

_And I'll be Positive (Positivity), not runaway, So Much for You_

_This Is Life (It's Life) _

_(Instrumental)_

_Suddenly I am center stage_

_Suddenly I am not afraid_

_Suddenly I believe again_

_In the blink of an eye…_

_My dreams,_

_Begin to rain…_

The crowd began applause as soon as the music was over. Sharpay just stood there, smiling, until everyone calmed down. Then she walked back up to the microphone. "Hello, my name is Sharpay Evans, and I am the President of Theatrical Performances here at Albuquerque Theatre of the Arts. I would like to welcome Bill Sanders out to the stage." She stepped back and let Bill take the stage.

"Hello, my name is Bill Sanders and I am the Director here at ATA. I have directed every show here for almost thirteen years, and I am proud to say that I have had this young lady right by my side the entire time. Ms. Evans has been in every show with me since I began and she was given the title of President at the age of thirteen, which is a very young age for a title like that." He motioned to Sharpay to come join him at the front of the stage, as she did. "Here at ATA, we put on four shows a year, tell us how many of those you have been the lead in Sharpay."

"I would say about fifty, Bill." She smiled and laughed at this whole thing he was doing on stage. Normally, he would say goodnight, and have a safe trip home. All of this was definitely not scripted at all.

"That's the most plays and musicals that anyone has ever been in here at ATA. Alongside this, Sharpay is also the President of the East High Drama Department, and we have a special guest here tonight to congratulate this young lady. Say hello to Ms. Darbus, everybody!" Sharpay turned and looked towards stage left and smiled at her beloved drama teacher. As soon as she reached center stage, Ms. Darbus enveloped Sharpay in a big hug and then took over the microphone.

"Back in January, we produced a show named TWINKLE TOWNE. This was the first show at East High that Ms. Evans was not the lead in. I know for a fact that the boy that stole her part is here tonight. Mr. Bolton, would you please come up here?" Within a matter of seconds, Troy was up on the stage and gave Ms. Darbus a hug, and then proceeded to hold hands with Sharpay, which made their teacher smile.

"Back in January, these two teens could not stand each other, but as you see now, they very much can. If you didn't already know, today is July 2, Ms. Evans seventeenth birthday. So, as a birthday present to you, Sharpay, I would like to present you and Mr. Bolton with the privilege of automatically being selected for the leads in this year's three musicals and plays." Sharpay screamed, and ran up to Ms. Darbus, giving her an excited hug. "Sharpay, would you like to say something?"

"Oh my god! You are the best mentor ever Ms. Darbus! Oh, and goodnight, and have a safe drive home, thank you!" She walked back up to Ms. Darbus and started to ask her what shows they were doing that year, but she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and looked into Troy's deep blue eyes.

"What? I don't get a hug?" he smiled at her.

"You didn't even know it was my birthday, mister. Why should you get a hug?"

"Because I'm so adorable. But, if I can't have a hug, then I guess I'll have to do this…" he leaned down and kissed her.

"I guess that works!" Sharpay had broken the kiss when she saw Troy's parents coming up on stage. Troy turned around to talk to his parents while Sharpay was talking to Ms. Darbus.

"You finally got him, didn't you Sharpay?" 

"Yeah, I did." Ms. Darbus laughed when she saw Sharpay blush and smile.

"I am so happy for you, and I wish you two the best of luck." She smiled and walked away, but before walking completely out the door she turned around and yelled, "And great show tonight, Sharpay! The best I've ever seen."

Sharpay walked towards the edge of the stage and just stood there, looking out into the empty seats, until she was taken back into the real world with a tap on her leg. She looked down and saw a little girl standing there, smiling up at her. She bent down and spoke to her. "Well, hey. What can I do for you?"

"Are you Sharpay Evans?"

"Why, yes, I am."

"Can I have your autograph?" Sharpay was a little taken aback when the little girl held out the show's program with a picture of her on the front.

"Of course, what's your name?"

"Fiona."

"What a pretty name!" Sharpay signed her name on the program and then did her signature kiss. Good thing for lip gloss! She handed it back to the little girl and looked up to see her run off to her parents. She stood up and walked back over to Troy and his parents, who were all smiling at her. "What?"

"That was so sweet of you, Pay." Troy took her hand and kissed her on the cheek. "Just wait; someday there will be millions of people asking for your autograph."

"We'll see. You never know I could give up this whole dream, settle down, get married, and raise a few kids." She laid her head down on Troy's shoulder. "That would really piss my mother off after all the money my parents have spent."

"Have you never thought about doing both?" Lisa cut in. She figured that Troy and Sharpay would get married one day and she definitely wanted grandkids, but she wanted Sharpay to be happy also.

"I have but I don't think I would want to raise my kids around all of the hustle and bustle of LA or New York."

"Well, what about staying in Albuquerque and just commuting to the sets?" Sharpay could really tell that Lisa was going to make this happen.

"I also have to take into consideration that if, and when, I get married, it won't just be my decision anymore." She looked up at Troy and winked. Troy smiled back and began talking.

"Just speaking in general, I would want my wife to follow her dreams and do what makes her happy." He pulled Sharpay closer to him and kissed her on the cheek. "Just as I know that my wife would want me to be happy also. Oh, and just telling you now, I don't want to be one of those husbands who just sits around and does nothing because my wife is some famous actress/singer."

"I'll put you to work, don't worry." She smiled up at him until she noticed Jack clearing his throat.

"We better be going. It's getting late. Great job, Sharpay!" Jack said as he and Lisa walked out the door. Troy turned to Sharpay.

"So, what now?"

"First, I need to get out of these clothes. You can come back to my dressing room with me if you want." As they walked there, Sharpay just kept talking. "Do you want to go out to dinner or something after I change? I know a great place."

"Sure, sounds great… Wow, this is your dressing room? It's so you."

Sharpay placed her hands on her hips: "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you have great taste and I can't believe that we were ever not together." He leaned down and kissed her softly and leaned his forehead against hers.

"I love you, Pay."

"I love you too, Troy."

"I'm just going to change really fast and then I'll be ready." Sharpay said in between their current make-out session.

"Okay, I'll wait in the hall." Troy walked out into the hall and shut the door. About ten minutes later, the door opened and Sharpay walked out. "Ready?"

"Yeah." Just as they were walking out of the theatre, Sharpay heard her name being called. She whirled around and frowned at what she saw.

"Sharpay, I'm so sorry. I want you back." Chris yelled as he ran up to her. Troy subconsciously grabbed Sharpay's hand and pulled her closer to him.

"Chris, what are you doing here?"

"My family had tickets and I came with them. I was about to leave when I saw you onstage with this punk. It made me really mad." Chris crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Troy, but it didn't phase him any because he was used to Sharpay's glares and they were a lot worse.

"What's your point, Chris?"

"I want you back. And I'll fight this guy if I have to." He reached over and shoved Troy.

"I'm not going to fight you. And did you ever think that maybe she doesn't want you back?" The guys looked at each other and then Chris stepped forward and started kissing Sharpay. When she pushed him away, he was dumbstruck just long enough for Troy's fist to come in contact with his jaw.

Once Chris was on the ground, Troy and Sharpay left and got in the car. "Troy, you said you weren't going to fight him." Sharpay laughed a bit at the situation. Troy smiled at her.

"I never said I wouldn't punch him once if I needed to. No one messes with you or me." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Now, where is this super-duper restaurant that you would like to go to?"

"It's called 'Little Rivers' and it's at the corner of Main Street and Belt Line."

"Okay." Troy drove to the restaurant; they walked in and were seated. "What do you usually get here, Pay?"

"Umm… I usually get the fettuccini alfredo. It's really good." She set her menu down matter-of-factly and smiled up at him.

"That sounds awesome." He set his down too just as their waiter came to take their orders. Once the waiter had gone, Troy looked up at Sharpay. "Pay, I'm not necessarily asking you yet, but if I did ask you… would you marry me?"


End file.
